In part one I discussed what effects sugar has and the various forms it takes. Now if you are ready to quit, or substantially reduce your sugar intake, then this is how to do it.
Use the following guidelines to make quitting easier and more effective.
1. One week before you begin to quit, take the Basic Supplements (see below), plus the Mood Prescription which includes tryptophan and/or 5-HTP for promoting serotonin, as well as chromium for supporting blood sugar balance.
2. Set yourself reasonable targets based on halving your sugar intake each week until you have none. For example, if you normally have two sugars in your tea, have one in the first week and half a teaspoonful in the second week.
3. Switch to xylitol so that you don’t have the blood sugar rush.
4. Have a teaspoon of cinnamon in a drink, on your cereal or on a light dessert. You can also get supplements of cinnamon, in which case take these with the chromium supplement in the Mood Prescription.
5. If you are craving sugar, first have a large glass of water, then a piece of fruit with some nuts or seeds (eating protein with carbohydrate keeps your blood sugar level even).
6. Always eat breakfast. You are aiming for three meals and two snacks a day. By eating little and often you help support your blood sugar balance.
7. Minimise caffeine and alcohol, as these both affect your blood sugar.
8. Follow our How to Quit Low-GL Diet.
More help:
After 30 days your cravings for carbs will be much reduced and probably your need for extra chromium will be too. So, cut back to one 200mcg tablet with breakfast, but do keep taking the Basic Supplements. If you find this doesn’t work as well as the two you were taking as part of the Mood Prescription, there’s no harm in continuing.
The most important things to remember when quitting are:
** Rebalance your brain with amino acids
** Balance your blood sugar to gain energy and reduce cravings
Make sure you have good hormone balance as low progesterone will lead to low mood and that puts extra pressure on you when trying to quit.
Further resources:
http://how2quit.co.uk/index.php/site/how2quit/657/ for supplement information
https://www.bio-hormone-health.com/2012/10/08/losing-weight-after-menopause/